We’re not sure what’s weirder, the fact that Young Thug and Carnage (formerly DJ Carnage) have formed a duo named “Young Martha,” or the gluttonous horror scene they’ve put together for their first collaborative video. Earlier this morning, Young Martha shared their debut track, “Homie,” featuring Meek Mill, and while the song is a banger on its own, you need to watch the accompanying video to get the full experience.

The Oscar Hudson-directed clip first draws you in with optical illusion. The camera’s set on a wheel that continuously spins throughout the video, giving the impression of a continuous somersault, and while we’re careening between floor, walls, and ceiling, keeping track of which is which becomes a near-impossible task. Paintings on the wall are upside down while people in the frame are right side up, Carnage sits on what appears to be the wall, a man being hoisted up by a rope seems to defy gravity - trippy stuff.

Amidst all of that, it’s easy to forget the soundtrack, and that truly speaks to the “Homie” video’s insanity, because removed from this context, the song is still a very memorable track. Carnage, previously best-known for fairly uninteresting trap-rave hybrids like “WDYW,” outdoes himself, combining an “Organ Donor”-esque organ lick with brassy bombast to create an ever-cresting wave of tension that never quite resolves.

Surfing this seething tsunami is Thugger, who’s better equipped for navigating its irregularities than anyone else in rap right now. On this occasion, he opts for his growling “Harambe” voice, which nicely balances the treble-heavy instrumental (high-pitched Thugger would not work on this track) and further amps up “Homie.” Meek doesn’t do anything particularly surprising in his verse, but his workmanlike cadence and tendency to yell every verse also perfectly matches the song’s intensity.

Back in December, Carnage announced that he had finished an entire Young Martha EP with Thug, but no further details have arisen. Hopefully the release of “Homie” means we’ll be hearing, and seeing, more soon.

published on September 10, 2017

Patrick Lyons

Patrick Lyons is a music writer based in Portland who is equally enthralled by black metal and Southern rap-- catch him making maddeningly eclectic choices on the aux cord.